Ed Yohnka
Urbana resident Bryton Mellott (middle) addresses the media, along with ACLU of Illinois attorney Rebecca Glenberg and spokesperson Ed Yohnka.
Jeff Bossert/Illinois Public Media

Urbana Man Arrested In 2016 Flag-Burning Incident Files Lawsuit

Bryton Mellott, who was arrested last July for burning an American flag and posting pictures of it on Facebook, has filed a federal lawsuit against four Urbana police officers. He wants to see Illinois' flag descreation law officially declared unconstitutional. The 22-year old Urbana resident says he burned the flag in response to the current political climate, and mass shootings, including the incident that claimed 49 lives at a gay nightclub in Orlando last summer.

Judge’s Ruling Reduces Election Day Registration In Illinois

A federal judge has scaled back Election Day voter registration for highly populated areas in Illinois, a decision that sides Republicans who claimed in a lawsuit that last year's extension of same-day registration is unconstitutional. Judge Samuel Der-Yeghiayan's move on Tuesday temporarily blocks wider same-day registration lawmakers put into effect in 2015.

A judge's gavel.
WUIS

Illinois Issues: What Are Consent Decrees?

Gov. Bruce Rauner says he wants to get the state out of legal agreements called consent decrees. The deals are a big part of the reason the government is still operating without a budget; they also impact the lives of thousands of Illinois residents. But unless you are affected by one, you've probably never heard of them.

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